Rival Dreams (Rival Love #3)

by Natalie Decker

  The first interview was fine. Direct questions. Thought provoking. Basically the kind Sky and I went over last night. God, I miss her voice. I miss her face. But most of all I miss holding her.

  “Caleb, your uncle Brian Timmons is said to have been your savior after your parents’ car crash. Can you tell me a little more about that? And why?”

  I blink and look at Phil, the guy interviewing me. It’s the topic I hate talking about. Only a few people know how hard it was for me to lose my parents. “When you’re a kid you don’t ever think about losing your parents. When you’re old, sure, but not as a kid. My uncle was there. He made sure I had an outlet. You don’t know the amount of rage one can feel when that person knows that it was another who took something from them. Something that can’t be replaced. It’s unbearable. With sports, the wound lessened, the rage disappeared. I focused on something other than my own pain and it got me here.”

  “Are you nervous at all this week?”

  I touch the cross hanging around my neck and laugh. “Yes, Phil, I am. But nerves are natural. In fact, one of my best friends, Skylar Fletcher, gets nervous before every single race. She’s a fantastic swimmer, and you’d swear just by watching her the girl is as cool as a cucumber, but she’s not. She’s wired and alert. She is one of the wisest people I know. She said nerves are your body’s way of telling you to pay attention. It’s your job to take notice.”

  “That sounds like a very wise statement indeed.”

  He asks me a few more questions, ones that I breeze right through. By the end of it I’m exhausted, hungry, and dying to talk to Sky so she can help put my mind at ease.

  Chapter 25

  Skylar

  Plane ticket, bought. Sexy bikini for the beach, done. Caleb calling me … wait. I scan over my assorted shopping scores and see my phone in the middle with Caleb’s name filling the screen. I answer it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi. I, uh … I wanted to see what you were doing?”

  I bite my lower lip. “Packing.”

  “Packing? Where are you off to?” His voice sounds low and sad. Like the thought of me leaving is breaking his heart.

  Can I just say my heart swells a little? Would he really miss me? Get a grip, Sky, he left you. “Bahamas. Spring break.”

  “I thought you were staying home?”

  “Yeah.” I look about my room. I thought so too, but someone decided to break my heart so I made other plans. “Lidia wanted me to go.”

  “Well, I hope you have a nice time.”

  “Caleb, why are you calling me?”

  “I don’t know. I tell myself not to. I seriously had a twenty-minute debate with myself, but in the end I just couldn’t help it. Sky, you have to know that …”

  There’s a knock at my door. “Hold on.” I cross the room and answer the door. Matt and Travis are standing in the hall with Brie moving around them with her key in hand.

  “I have to call you back.”

  “Um … okay.”

  “Hi, Skylar,” Matt says.

  Caleb growls through the receiver, “Is that Matt in the background?”

  “Hi,” I say to Matt. To Caleb I say, “Um, yeah. Can I call you right back?”

  “Fine.”

  He hangs up but he sounded so grouchy. Like he’d get on a plane, kick Matt’s ass, then go back to Indy if he could. I hope he doesn’t.

  I stare at Matt, who’s working his way through my room. “Going somewhere?” He lifts my red bikini with a waggle of his brows. I roll my eyes and snatch it from him.

  “Please don’t touch my things.”

  I look over for some kind of deflector to help me with this awkwardness, but Brie is straddling Travis on her bed and is tongue-deep in his mouth.

  Matt chuckles and takes a seat at my desk. “Wanna kill some time?” He pats his lap and I groan.

  “Why are you here?”

  He shrugs. “I like you. I think you’re really hot. And I think there is something between us. It would be a shame not to see it through, right?”

  “Did you get hit in the head with a weight today or something? There is nothing between us, Matt.”

  “I think there is. You’re just too scared to find out what it is.”

  I turn away from him. “No. Because there isn’t anything there.”

  “If you’re holding back because you think Caleb will change his mind, let me be the first to tell you he won’t.” I look back and he holds up his phone. A photo of the redhead who was hanging all over Caleb on campus, straddling a person’s lap.

  “That could be anyone,” I say in a shaky voice. Even though my gut twists at the image. I drop my gaze and shrug. “He’s a free man, he can do what he wants.”

  Matt leans in and whispers, “It’s not anyone, though. It’s him. Who do you think took the picture?”

  I glance at the image again. Bile builds in my throat and I push myself out of the room.

  ***

  I should call Caleb and ask him about his little redheaded wonder. But I won’t. Why? Because I’m done arguing. I’m finished asking him about every stupid choice he makes. Most of all, I’m done hurting.

  I need Kayla. I’m a blubbering mess and yes, my mom would kill me if she knew I was driving while crying. But I need my friend to tell me everything is going to be fine. Brie obviously isn’t much of a friend since she a) is too busy playing battle of the tongues with Travis, and b) brought that douche Matt along.

  I swipe a few tears as I pull onto the highway.

  Crunch.

  Glass shatters.

  Horns blare.

  Images blur and spin.

  Then darkness.

  Chapter 26

  Caleb

  Check-out day. I call my uncle but he doesn’t answer. In fact, it goes straight to voicemail so I leave a message. “Hey, I got your text. Sorry I couldn’t call until now. I’m finishing up here and heading to the airport, should be back in Raleigh at three. Talk to you then.”

  I try Sky’s phone again, but it goes straight to voicemail. What the hell is with everyone turning their phones off? A nagging feeling settles in the pit of my stomach that I can’t seem to shake. I haven’t heard from her in a couple days. She’s probably on her flight to the Bahamas. That’s must be why her phone isn’t even ringing.

  Jones meets me downstairs in the lobby of the hotel and gives me my schedule for the next two weeks. I’ve got a couple of private sessions with scouts. I must admit I had my doubts that I’d impress anyone, but apparently that’s not the case at all.

  I got complimented on my footwork, throwing ability, and even my speed. I’m ready. Really ready.

  ***

  When I enter my dorm room, Kyle looks at me wide-eyed and says, “Fuck, dude. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you. Everyone has.”

  “I must have had my ringer off. Well, here I am. What’s the problem?”

  “Your whole family has been here, and some really hot chick who says she’s not related to you at all. She came by and told me to hand you this.” It’s a sticky note with the words ICU 508.

  “What the fuck is this?”

  “That’s the other thing. You’re going to want to sit down.”

  “Why?” I don’t want to sit down. I just want to know what’s going on.

  Kyle shakes his head. “Alright, don’t sit down. Skylar has been in an accident. A car hit her as she was merging onto the highway.”

  I drop my bag. “What? When?”

  “Couple of nights ago. I wanted to wait until you got in. I’ve got a long-ass drive home. I’ll pray she pulls through, man, but I’ve gotta bounce. Call your uncle.”

  My heart feels like it is wedged between two rocks while someone is grinding it down until it bursts. Collecting oxygen into my lungs actually hurts. This isn’t happening. Not my Sky. Not my beautiful Skylar. I grab some stuff from my bag, keys, phone, and head out the door.

  I call Uncle Brian as soon as I’m inside my car. “Where is
she?” I ask as I choke on tears.

  “Caleb, they took her to Memorial.”

  I hang up and drive.

  ***

  Machines beep. I have no idea what they do beyond that. Sky is lying in a bed. Her head is bandaged. Purple and red cover her eyes. There are scratches across her cheek and along her knuckles. Tubes stick out of her kissable mouth. My stomach rolls at the sight of her.

  I clasp my hand around hers and kiss the knuckles. An IV feeds liquid into her other hand. A plastic clamp is on the tip of her index finger. I squeeze her hand, willing my strength and whatever else she needs to wake up, into our very touch.

  She’s not waking, though.

  A constant beep-beep-beep is in the background while something makes her chest slightly rise and fall. “Baby, please wake up. I have so much to say to you but I need you awake to hear it.”

  I rest my head on our joined hands and a tear slides down my face. “Please, Sky. I love you so much. I can’t lose you like this. I won’t. You have to wake up for me.”

  Something smacks me hard on the top of my head and then my back. I let go of Sky’s hand and turn to see what the hell is going on. A stinging pain spreads across my skin as my eyes land on Kayla, who’s being held back by Lance.

  “Jesus, Kayla, why did you hit me?” I ask, although I can probably think of a few reasons. Like, how could I break up with Sky on Valentine’s Day? Or why in the hell did I never tell her about the draft? Like I said, I can name a few.

  She glares at me. “You’re a total asshat, Morgan. Get out of here. You’re the last person she’d want to see when she wakes up.”

  Lance butts in before I can. “We talked about this, didn’t we? He just got here.”

  “What’s going on? What was she doing? Last time I talked to her Matt had just come to her room.”

  Kayla holds her breath and Lance shakes his head. “Your friend showed a photo to Sky. You were making out or doing something to some redhead. The one at the party. Anyway, Sky was coming to see Kayla. I don’t know what she was doing, or if the other car even saw her. All I know is she got hit, her car flipped, and the EMTs brought her here.”

  A nurse enters the room right as Kayla yells, “I trusted you, Caleb!”

  The nurse looks at all of us and says, “Folks, this is a hospital. There are others resting and recovering in this wing. You need to lower your voices, and there can only be one person in the room at a time. The rest of you need to take a seat in the waiting room.”

  I grip Sky’s hand again. I’m not leaving. Lance seems to see it in my eyes and steers Kayla toward the door. She sneers, “Fine, we’ll wait ten minutes. That’s all you’re getting, jackass.”

  Lance shoots me a pleading look and then they both exit the room. The nurse checks Sky’s machines, her fluids, and changes bags. Before she leaves I ask, “Will she be okay?”

  “I can’t say for certain. The doctor will be making his rounds soon.”

  I nod. The nurse leaves and closes the door.

  I study Sky and notice her finger twitch. “Sky, you got this, babe. All you have to do is wake up.”

  But she remains asleep.

  ***

  I’m out in the waiting room with my uncle and Erin. It’s going on four days. Four days of no Sky.

  Lidia, her mother Julie, and Robert, Sky and Lidia’s father, come into the waiting room. Erin rises from her chair and hugs Lidia and her ex-husband. She looks over at Julie, who sniffles, “I’m so sorry, Erin.”

  Erin nods. “She’s going to pull through this. Her vitals have been good. She just … she needs to wake up.”

  “Why hasn’t she?” Robert asks.

  My uncle places his hands on Erin’s shoulders, which are now shaking hard as she sobs. “I don’t know.”

  Lidia sits beside me. “Caleb.”

  “Hi, Lidia.”

  “She was crying. A lot. In the showers, in her sleep. You broke her heart.”

  “I know. I wanted her to keep living her dream. Going to Duke was always her …”

  Lidia cuts me off. “It was her dream school. Caleb, that all changed. Yeah, she likes it here, but that’s because you’re here. She could go anywhere and be happy, and still follow her dream, as long as you were there too.”

  “But I …”

  “Men. You all are a bunch of morons. Bet you didn’t even ask her, did you?”

  “No.” I stare at my feet.

  Lidia snorts. “Exactly. Always assuming you know what’s good for us. Then you just run off without a word.”

  I have a feeling this conversation is no longer about me but her ex, Malcolm, this guy Lidia was seeing for about a year before she went off to Columbia. I thought he was into Sky at first, when she was in New York living with her dad, but they were just really good friends. Anyway, Malcolm went to UCLA to study film; he broke up with Lidia the day he got his acceptance letter. Told her it was for the best. Lidia is still pissed at him. Sky still keeps in touch, though. I’m pretty sure Lidia doesn’t know that.

  Kayla exits Sky’s room. She hugs Lidia and points to me, “Don’t let him near her. All he does is hurt her.”

  Lidia raises a brow and shakes her head at me. Kayla hugs Erin next and tells everyone she has class but will be back later. Robert looks at me and asks, “Caleb, don’t you have a class to get to?”

  “No. I, uh … I’m in the draft, so technically I’m no longer a university student.”

  Lance fist-bumps me. “Let me know when you’re ready to move all your shit into my place.”

  It was a last-minute decision. I was going to go home to Ohio and do training there if I needed to, but Lance offered that spare room in his apartment. Plus, being near my coaches and the facilities here will be easier. He also let me know he won’t be there that often because of work and hanging out at Kayla’s place.

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for him. It just feels odd. Not him and Kayla as a couple, and being with each other. Not that. It’s seeing them together, and feeling like I’m watching my supposed-to-be future with Skylar.

  Instead, I’m stuck instead in this hospital that’s chilly, smells of cleaner, and has uncomfortable chairs. Of course, what hospital has relaxing chairs in their waiting room? None of the ones I’ve been to.

  I stand up to stretch my legs when a doctor approaches us.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher?”

  Erin steps forward. “It’s Mrs. Timmons. This is Mr. Fletcher. And that’s the new Mrs. Fletcher.”

  The doctor looks young, like he’s barely twenty-five. He simply nods and pushes his dark-frame glasses up his nose. “I have some news on your daughter’s situation. As you know we had her in surgery for the break in her left leg when she arrived. I know she’s been under our care for four days now, and her vitals are great, but she wasn’t showing any signs of waking on her own, so we have started treatment to help wake her up.”

  “What if she doesn’t wake?” Robert asks.

  “Comas are tricky, Mr. Fletcher. Some patients respond to the treatment and wake with ease. For others, it might take several days. What we don’t want is for this to become more severe.”

  Erin interrupts him. “Severe cases are the ones that go beyond two weeks, correct?”

  “We’d say anything beyond six days without response to the treatments to help wake her is severe. We started her treatment two days ago, so we hope she responds soon.”

  “If she’s asleep for longer than six days is she considered a vegetable?” Robert asks.

  The doctor shakes his head. “No. But like I said, these things are tricky. Some patients gradually come out of the coma, some do progress to a vegetative state, and in other cases some have died.” My heart freezes. Die? She can’t die!

  The doctor mumbles some other shit but all I can hear is “have died” over and over. I leave the waiting area and pass Sky’s room on my way to the coffee machines. I slow my pace just outside her door when I hear Lidia plead, “Sky, you’ve gotta wa
ke up. Lots of people need you to wake up.” My conscience tells me to keep walking, this isn’t any of my business, but I eavesdrop. “I know this might be hard to hear, but Caleb’s out there, sweetie. He looks miserable. Like, really bad. I don’t think he’s showered in days. Please, Sky. If not for you at least do it so others don’t have to smell the poor boy any longer.”

  I sniff under my armpit and cough. Shit. Okay, so I haven’t left this place since I got here. Which means I haven’t showered. Or eaten. Or slept. I skip the coffee and head back to the waiting room. “Uncle Brian, I need to grab a change of clothes and an overnight bag.”

  “We’ll call you if there are any changes.”

  Erin hugs me and I shake Robert’s hand. Then I head off to my dorm.

  Chapter 27

  Skylar

  Images flicker and fade. Flicker and fade. I can’t seem to grasp them for more than a second or two. Darkness holds me prisoner in my own mind. I can hear footsteps, loud, then they fall away, too. Voices go in and out. Tiny spurts of conversation come and go, bits and pieces I can’t quite make sense of.

  “Caleb … here … days,” in Lidia’s voice.

  “Asshole … why … sorry,” in Kayla’s voice.

  “Liv … wake … please,” in my mom’s sobs.

  “Sweetie … family … love,” in my dad’s cry.

  “Not … mom … but … love … both.” Julie my stepmother said. I am not fond of her, mostly ignore her, but her words strike me. Maybe I should try harder with her.

  “Got … thank … hear me …” in Lance’s bellow.

  But the words that repeat the most are his. “I … love … always … baby … please … need … you.”

  I feel the tears on my hand. My heart screams wait. My body keeps me in the dark, though. I don’t like this. Why can’t I wake up? Why won’t my eyes open? Even for just a moment. That’s all.